Hobby-cycle



W. E. HOWES.

HOBBY CYCLE.

RPHICATION FILED JULY 19,1919.

1 347 099 Patented July 20, 1920.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIS E. I-IOWES,.OF ROCK ISLAND, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO B. 85 D. MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF ROCK ISLAND, ILLINOIS, AND ONE-FOURTH T0 HARRY E. WINTERS, OF DAVENPORT, IOWA.

' HOBBY-CYCLE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented July 20, 1920.

Application filed July 19, 1919. Serial No. 312,013.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WVILLIs E. Howns, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rock Island, in the county of Rock Island and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hobby- Cycles, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to an improved hobby-cycle toy, particularly adapted for children, and the invention aims to provide a toy of this particular character, which is simple, efiicient and practical in construction, and may be .manufactured at a relatively low cost and sold at a reasonable profit.

The invention further aims to provide a toy including a wheel supported frame having an oscillatory seat mounted thereon, and means connecting the seat and two of the wheels of the toy, whereby a revoluble motion'for driving two of the wheels may be transmitted from the oscillatory seat, for

propelling the hobby-cycle toy,

The invention further aims to provide means for steering the toy, which may be accomplished by the feet, though not necessarily, for it is obvious that the steering means may be otherwise operated.

While the design and construction at present illustrated and set forth is deemed preferable, it is obvious that as a result of a reduction of the invention toa more practical form for commercial purposes, the in vention maybe susceptible to changes, and the right to these changes is claimed, provided they are comprehended within the scope of what is claimed.

The invention comprises further features and combinations of parts, as hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings and the hobby-cyc1e toy, showing the seat in its lowermost position.

Fig. 3 is a view in elevation of a hobbycycle toy, showing a modified construction of operative connection between the link or pitman and the drive axle, said operative connection including a dog and ratchet construction or design.

Referring more especially to the drawings, 1 designates a frame, which may be any suitable shape or configuration, preferably of a triangular contour skeleton in form, though not necessarily, for it is obvious that other shapes of frames may be employed. However, in the present instance, the frame is triangular or prismatic in form and comprises the head 2, the upwardly and rearwardly inclined diverging bars 3, which are curved as shown at 4, and their portion 5 beyond the curves at incline downwardly and rearwardly and diverge from each other. Also extending from the head 2 of the frame are rearwardly extending diverging bars 6, the rear ends of which and the lower rear ends of the downwardly and rearwardly inclined diverging portions 5 have bearings of any suitable construction, as shown at 7, for the reception of a drive axle 8, on which suitable supporting drive wheels 9 are mounted to rotate with the axle. These wheels may be of any suitable or conventional form or. construction. Any kind of supporting wheels may be employed in connection with the frame, for the purpose of supporting the same.

A steering head 10 is provided. This steeringhead may be constructed of metal, or any other suitable material, and comprises downwardly extending forks 11, provided with a stub axle 12, said axle carrying a front supporting steering wheel 13. This wheel may be of any suitable construction, equally as well as the rear supporting drive wheels. Projecting laterally from the steering head and in opposite directions are foot engaging arms 14, which may be engaged by the feet of the operator, for oscillating the steering head in one direction or the other for steering or'guiding the hobby-cycle toy. These arms 14 are reinforced relatively to the forks 11, by means of the bracing rods 15, which form integral parts with the forks and the arms. The steering head has an upstanding projection or stud 16, which passes swivelly through the head 2 of the frame, and has threaded on its upper end a nut 17,

there being a washer between the nut and the upper face of the head 2 of the frame. If desired, this stud may have .anti-frictional ball bearings so that the steering frame may freely rotate. If desired, the steering head may be otherwise mounted, so long as it is capable of freely turning.

An oscillatory seat 19 is provided to sup port the operator, and may be any suitable shape, construction or configuration, preferably as shown, though not necessarily. This seat 19 is provided with downwardly projecting spaced arms 20,:which are provided-for the purpose of being pivotally 'mounted upon the frame. It is ofthe design to adjust-ably pivot the downwardly projecting arms, and to accomplish this, the arms are provided with registering apertures 21, any opposite two of which may receive a pin 22', which passes through the curved portions 4 of the bars 3 of the frame.

It is obvious that the pin 22 may be adjusted in any two of the apertures 21. The forward portion of the seat is contracted, and is provided with a slot 23, which fixedly receives a reduced portion2el 'of a head piece 25, which in the present instance, respresents the head and neck of an animal. This head may be'otherwise shaped, and connected to the'mouth of the head are-bridle reins, to be grasped by the hand of the operator, as though the operator is driving the animal.

The lower portions of the arms 20 areprovided with a plurality of apertures 27, any opposite two of which may receive a pivot pin 28, for adjustably connecting the pitman or link 29 between the lower ends of the arms 20. The rear end of the link or pitman terminates in an eye 30, which is pivotally connected to a crank 31 of the drive axle 8. It is obvious that morethan one'crank may beused, for driving the shaft 8 and in order to overcomedeadcenter. It

is further obvious that anyother'suitable driving connections may be employed, for instance, as shown in Fig. 3. v

The driving connections for the axles, as shown in Fig. 3, comprises a flanged disk, which is loosely mounted upon the ax'le 8. The internal surface of the flange 32 ofth'e disk 33 is provided with ratchet teeth 34:,

' preferably of the type illustrated, though forms of teeth maybe employed.

posite direction, so. as to impart intermit tent relative movements to the drive axle 8. In order to accomplish this result, the arm 36'has a depending lug 41,. between which 'tion oflthe arrow a. However, when the other figures) is pivotally mounted by means of the 'pin 44. It will be seen that when oscillatory motions are imparted tothe seat by means of the operator moving backwardly and forwardly, the depending arms 20 are correspondingly oscillated, which impart re- 7 ciprocating'motions to the link or pitman 29, and through its. connection with the crank31, or with the disk33, rotary'motions may be imparted to the axle 8, thereby propelling the rear supporting drive wheels 9. The operator-can place the feet on the lateral arms 1a of the steering head and oscillate or turn it in one direction or the other, for steering the hobby-cycle. It' is to be noted that the arms 14 diverge slightly rearwardly, so as to prevent the feetof the operator from slipping off when making sharp turns. i y I When the driving connection with the axleS, as shown in Fig. 3, is employed,the' beveled nose of the dog slips over the ratchet. teeth when the disk 33 moves inthe direcdisk 33 is moved in the opposite-direction, V the nose of the dogfwill engage between the teeth, and since the tail of the dog abuts the closed end of the recess, the dog will be held firm or rigidly with the arm 36, and since the arm is lkeyedtothe axle, revoluble movements will be. imparted to the axle. 7 When the nose of'the 'dog slips over the teeth, the spring12isputunder tension, so the spring, when it again expands, will'restore the nose of the dog betweencertain of theteeth. I

The invention having been set forth, what is claimed'as new and useful is 7 1. Ina hobby-cycletoy, the combination with a frame skeleton in form provided with forward and rear sup p'orting wvheels, of a drive axle .mountedin'bearings of the rear of the frame, and on which the rear supporting wheels are fixed, an oscillatoryseat piv otally mounted between the upper portions of the sides of the frame and having a front head piece which is provided with vdownwardly depending arms, an operative connection connected to thellower ends of the 20 arms and having a ratchetdrive connection with the drive axle, for transmitting power, from theoscillatory'seat tothedrive' axle, said ratchet drive connection c'omprisin'g'a flanged'disk, the flange of which having ratchet teeth, the disk being loosely mounted upon the axle, an arm fixed to theaxle, and provided with a springtensioned piv oted dog toslip by the teethwhen-thefdiskis moved in one direction and tobite between the teeth when the disk is rotated in the opposite direction.

2. In a hobby-cycle toy, the combination with a prismatic frame skeleton in form provided with forward and rear supporting wheels, of a drive axle mounted in bearings of the rear of the frame, and on which the rear supporting wheels are fixed, an oscillatory seat pivotally mounted between the upper portions of the sides of the frame and having a front head piece which is provided with downwardly depending arms, an operative connection connected to the lower ends of the arms and having a ratchet drive connection with the drive axle, for transmitting power from the oscillatory seat to the drive axle, said ratchet drive connection comprising a flanged disk, the flange of which having ratchet teeth, the disk being loosely mounted upon the axle, an arm fixed to the axle, and provided with a spring tensioned pivoted dog to slip by the teeth when the disk is moved in one direction and to bite between the teeth when the disk is rotated in the opposite direction, and means for steering the hobby-cycle toy.

8. In a hobby-cycle toy, the combination with forward and rear supporting wheels,of a dominant frame connected to and supported by the rear wheels, an auxiliary frame swiveled to and depending downwardly from the forward end of the dominant frame connected to and supported by the forward wheel, an oscillatory member having a head at its forward end and a seat at its rear end, a depending element carried by the oscillatory member and pivotally mounted between the upper parts of the sides of the dominant frame at a point adjacent the under face of the oscillatory member, the lower end of the depending element being operative between the lower parts of the sides of the dominant frame to assist in guiding the element in its swinging movement, and a link pivoted to the lower end of the depending member and being in turn operatively connected to the rear supporting wheel to propel the toy, said depending element being positioned on the oscillatory member at a point substantially one-third the length of the member, whereby the greater portion of the seat of the member is disposed rearwardly of the pivot, whereby the greater part of the weight of the operator is rearwardly of the pivot to insure oscillatory movements of the member when the feet of the operator engage the steering means of the auxiliary frame, and means on the auxiliary frame to be engaged by the feet of the operator for steering the toy.

4. In a hobby-cycle toy, the combination with rear supporting drive wheels and a front steering wheel, the latter wheel having an auxiliary frame provided with steering parts and in which the forward wheel is mounted, a dominant frame including a rear axle on which the rear Wheels are journaled and having its front end steeringly connected to the auxiliary frame, an element having its upper part pivotally mounted between the upper parts of the sides of the dominant frame, and having its lower end guided between the sides of the lower part of the dominant frame, operatively connecting the lower end of said element and the rear axle, said element comprising short and long arms above and below its pivot, the dominant frame being inclined upwardly and forwardly from the axle, a member fixedly connected to the short arm of the element and having a seat rearwardly of the pivot, which together with the upward and forward inclination of the dominant frame, act to cause the depending element to oscillate without requiring excessive energy on the part of the operator.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIS E. HOWES.

Witnesses:

G. W. OSSENKENHOLTZ, E. O. ANDERSON. 

